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Hong Kong teacher trainer revamps courses to offer joint degrees amid birth rate dip

Experts say move by Education University of Hong Kong aims to give graduates more career options as school student population set to shrink

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The university’s teacher training programmes will also offer skills in personal finance, psychology and other fields. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong’s largest teacher training institution will revamp its 11 bachelor’s programmes for educators into joint degree courses to boost graduates’ skill range, as the city braces for the effects of a shrinking school student population.
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The Education University of Hong Kong (EdU) has updated course information to show the training programmes will also include non-education elements from the next academic year.

“[EdU] will provide more multidisciplinary courses in the 2025-28 academic years,” a university spokeswoman said.

“Our school combines its past experience in offering dual degree programmes to optimise all bachelor’s degree programmes in education into dual degree programmes and adds multidisciplinary elements to the courses to equip students to develop their talents.”

Ng Po-shing, a student guidance consultant with NGO the Hok Yau Club, said the revamp aimed to broaden graduates’ career pathways in response to a projected decline in the student population.

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The Education Bureau published student population projections in April which showed the number of six-year-olds expected to start Primary One would drop from 49,600 this year to 31,500 in 2029, a 36 per cent decrease.

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